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La Grange D105 discloses $1.95 million tax-levy filing error, staff recommends under-levy to make taxpayers whole
Summary
District finance director Steven Smidl told the board an error in the 2024 tax-levy filing included $1,952,680.41 of alternate revenue bonds in the extension; he recommended under-levying the 2025 levy by that amount (plus a 10% buffer) rather than issuing individual refunds.
The La Grange Elementary School District 105 Board of Education was told Oct. 27 that a filing error in the district's 2024 tax levy resulted in $1,952,680.41 in alternate revenue bonds being incorrectly included in the extension.
"Without filing the resolution, the bonds were unintentionally included in this last extension for all taxing bodies," Director of Business Services Steven J. Smidl wrote in a letter presented to the board. Smidl said he contacted the County Clerk and bond counsel and that his recommendation is to under-levy the 2025 property tax levy to correct the error.
Smidl described three options to fix the mistake: (1) issue reimbursements to taxpayers, which he said would be administratively burdensome and slow; (2) abate operational funds and reduce the 2025 levy to offset the erroneous amount (Smidl's recommendation); or (3) abate the levy adjustment extension over several years, a longer-term approach. He recommended Option 2 and proposed an additional 10% buffer ($195,000) to help cover market-value and interest adjustments, bringing the total corrective amount to $2,147,680.41.
Smidl noted the district's total extension was $30,297,704.15 and that about half of the impact had already been reflected in the spring 2025 tax bill; remaining adjustments would appear on upcoming installments. He wrote that taxpayers would receive the credit beginning with the first installment in spring 2026 rather than via refund checks.
The board did not take a separate final vote on the corrective plan during the Oct. 27 meeting, but later approved a tentative aggregate tax levy that excludes bond & interest and set a Truth in Taxation hearing for Nov. 17, 2025. Smidl invited taxpayers to a special meeting at 6:00 PM on Nov. 17 at Gurrie Middle School to answer questions about the correction.
The letter accompanying Smidl's presentation concludes with his apology and a statement of responsibility: "I sincerely apologize for the situation and take full responsibility."
